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I take her hand and kiss it. “Okay, but I want to let them know soon. I don’t know how I will keep it to myself and not tell Lana since she was rooting for us to get together.”
“You better! Just until they get back from their honeymoon. Okay?”
I sigh dramatically. “They aren’t even leaving for another two days. That’s not fair.”
She laughs. “You can be patient. They’ll be back in two weeks, and then we can shout it to the world.”
She hooks her arm through mine and leans into me. We’re quiet for the rest of the way. As we pull up, I see my mom waiting at the entrance to the venue. She’s impatiently tapping her foot and looking at our car as we pull up.
As soon as the car stops, she attacks the door. “Ethan Anders, you are ten minutes late. The photographer is losing her mind. She said something about losing light and wanted to finish the group shots immediately. You go into the groomsmen hall over there,” she commands in her most sergeant-sounding voice.
“Hi, Mom. Love you, too,” I say as I give her a quick kiss on her cheek.
“Liz, hi, sweetie,” she says as Liz exits the car. She gives Liz a welcoming hug. “He’s always running late for everything. I know this is all his fault.”
Liz swings her eyes to mine and smirks at me. “Yes, Mrs. Anders. It was all Ethan. He had some last-minute things to take care of and just couldn’t get out the door on time. I kept warning him we’d be late.” She shrugs her slim shoulders as her adorable little mouth utters those lies.
“Liz, I told you to call me Winny. Mrs. Anders is my mother-in-law’s name,” she says playfully. “And Ethan, I knew it. You are always late for everything. Now get going!” she says. “Your dad and brothers are waiting for you. Shoo! Liz, I’ll walk you to Lana. Jessica is helping her put some finishing touches on her makeup. She doesn’t like what the makeup artist did.” My mom takes hold of Liz’s arm as they walk away.
I watch them for a few seconds. My mom is throwing her head back and laughing at something Liz says. They’re probably talking about me.
I stop staring when I hear my name being called from a distance. “Ethan!” I search for the voice and finally see my brother Dax. Well damn. I must be late if they sent the cavalry after me. I take off at a jogtoward him. If he sees the broad grin on my face when I arrive, he doesn’t even question it.
Chapter 31
Liz
Hours later, I’m sitting at a table with Lana at her reception. It’s been a wonderful day, and seeing Lana and Jake get married was surreal. Their love for one another makes me wish I were getting married right now, too.
“The wedding was beautiful, Lana. Thank you so much for having me be a part of it,” I say as I hug her. “And this venue for the reception. Oh. My. Gosh. It’s amazing.”
“I’m so glad you could be part of it, and I’m so glad you decided to move back. You, me, and Jess, we’re best friends. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”
I swipe at the moisture gathering in the corner of my eye. I always had friends in my corner, even if I refused to acknowledge them as the family they’ve slowly become.
“I’m glad I came back, too. Otherwise, I would be missing all of this,”I admit.
“And you’d miss Ethan, too,” Lana says with knowing eyes.
Jess walks up and overhears Lana. “Oh, she’d miss that hot stud of hers, for sure,” Jess says.
“He’s not a horse, Jess,” I tell her, laughing.
She looks at me slyly. “Normally, I’d have some comment about him mounting you like a horse or hung like a horse, but I’m trying to keep it classy at Lana’s reception.”
Lana chuckles into her hands, trying to hide her laughter. “Thanks for holding back on my account, Jess.”
I hide my smile and turn to Lana. “This place is crazy-beautiful and romantic. Are you glad you did the full wedding instead of eloping?”
Lana looks around the room. I follow her eyes and really pay attention to the room for the first time since we arrived. I notice the soaring ceilings and glowing crystal chandeliers, the elegant tables set with gorgeous cherry blossom arrangements and matching candles, the dance floor with the live band, and the hundreds of people milling about. The entire room is bathed in elegance. It has everything anyone could want in a reception venue.
Lana looks at me, her face scrunching up in a grimace. “I know this is going to sound terrible. But I just wanted to elope. I would have been happy with a Vegas wedding. I didn’t need all of this. However, there is a small part of me that likes the attention. And this stunning dress,” she says as she lifts the full skirt of her dress and smiles, “did you know it has pockets?” She giggles as she puts her hands in her pockets and spins.
“Oooh, pockets. So fancy,” Jess says. “Also, Vegas sounds fun. We should go there together when you get back from your honeymoon.”
“Did someone say Vegas?” asks a smooth voice behind me.
I turn around, and there’s Dax. “Dax! Don’t you look nice in a tuxedo?” I tell him as I straighten his bowtie.
